“LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — A group of Siena College physics students are helping a little boy in Ohio to feel like a superhero.
Jack Carder, 5, was born with a right hand that did not fully form resulting in four non-useable fingers. After a bone graft, Jack was able to use his thumb. He’s adapted pretty well, and even enjoys playing his favorite sport of baseball.
Siena students have used 3-D printing technology to create a small Iron Man-themed prosthetic hand for him.
Jack’s mother, Laura Crader, spoke to WCMH in Ohio. She said she was introduced to Siena by Enabling the Future, an international organization that matches limb different children with programs that use 3-D technology to create mechanical prosthetics.
Senior Joey Fairley, of Saratoga Springs, had just started a local chapter of e-Nable at Siena, and he jumped at the chance to help Joey. The Siena team took measurements from photos and built the hand with a 3-D printer.
The customized hand will be four-fingered to allow Jack to continue to use his thumb. And much like Iron Man, Carder’s hand will also include a palm “laser” that features glow-in-the-dark accents.
But the special prosthetic hand still needs to be delivered. The team will fly to Ohio on Tuesday to present Jack with his “helping hand” in front of all his friends at school. With his new hand, Jack will then throw out the first pitch at the Columbus Clippers game.”
Source: WRIC.com
